Effects of Technology in Administrative Office Systems Essay

Effects of Technology in Administrative Office Systems - Essay Example Technology has been a source of ease and comfort for man but along with innumerable advantages, it has bought with it certain drawbacks as well. Excessive dependence upon technology and its practically implemented turnaround such as Smartphone, the Internet and tablet PCs has shown signs of certain disadvantages that may have long-lasting effects if not addressed timely. Since connectivity to the internet is not an issue anymore it is possible to access both personal and office related work via the internet just about any time during the day. All one needs to do is to log into the internet and begin to access your work while even sitting at your home.For some people this may seem like a precious facility but the fact is that excessive usage of this facility is leading to personality disorders among individuals. Writing in the New York Times author Tara Parker-Pope maintains that," Typically, the concern about our dependence on technology is that it detracts from our time with family and friends in the real world. ... It may be that the immediacy of the Internet, the efficiency of the iPhone ..."It is vital to state here that though it is important to make use of technology throughout the day this usage should be constrained and should not affect the personal responsibilities of an individual. Tara Parker-Pope also emphasizes in her article that excessive dependence upon technology emerges like a disease that needs to be treated just like any other psychological disorder. Not only does this dependence make a person negligent of his responsibilities towards himself and his family he may even turn out to become beholders of virtual personalities which are entirely different from their own individual existence. This war of an individual with his own self is mainly overcome by the virtual self leading to devastating effects in the days to come. While technology has begun to have adverse affects upon the personalities of individuals, the core advantages that it has bought to the human society greatly outweigh drawbacks associated with it. Administrative Offices have many organizational and managerial tasks at hand. It is imperative that their details be discussed in order to narrate the changes that would be bought with the fusion of technology in them. For a conventional office system administrative tasks may merely be as simple as the maintenance of records of the employees working for an organization and the maintenance and generation of their payroll, regularly, on a monthly basis to the strategic tasks as those involving major business decision making. A number of tasks that may be assisted greatly by the infusion of technology are: Recording and Managing of Organizational data. Maintenance of records of purchases, products and merchandise. Business related human interactions. Accounting. Communications in business. Organization in business. Correspondence and Collaboration. Strategic Decision Making. Managing of administrative knowledge, in a knowledgeable manner is the key to betterment in the implementation of these processes. Shannak (2010) researched the effect of managing knowledge upon administrative decision making and quotes the following as part of his research, "Knowledge Management is a technique that seeks to improve the performance of individuals and organizations by making use of the present and future value of knowledge assets. It is presumed that the performance will be improved by

MARKETTING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

MARKETTING - Essay Example Moreover, IKEA’s designs and variety were superb and the company always had the ability to adapt to the local environment (Gordon, 2004). 2. IKEA’s marketing strategy revolves around getting closer to the customers. IKEA often invites customers to its stores, makes them spend some time there in return of gifts and let them have a unique enjoyable experience instead of a shopping chore. When the story picks up in the press, it attracts more shoppers, more sales and more buzz. This cycle ensures the success of IKEA’s marketing strategy (Bloomberg, 2005). 3. IKEA’s target market segment in U.S. is the middle class people who aspire to be stylish and cool. IKEA’s products are not about tradition or conservatism. This cool quotient can be noticed in the design and layout of its products and stores (Bloomberg, 2005). 4. IKEA should position its stores in the United States as places for great shopping experience for middle classes and especially youngsters. Its aim should not be to overhaul current players in the furniture or other industries. IKEA should rather try and create a special space or niche for itself. 5. Till now IKEA has faced a few issues in expansion in the US market. This has primarily been because the US customers in general prefer ready to made products and can’t wait for a few days for them to be assembled. This is contradictory to IKEA’s core business philosophy and manufacturing strategy. IKEA has tackled this challenge by adapting a fifth of its product range according to US customers’ needs (Gordon,

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic management - Essay Example Apart from these airlines, British Airways also supports varied other airlines as well such as Cambian Airways and Northeast Airways. Along with scheduled services, British Airways is also affianced in the functions of both international and domestic carrier of freight, ancillary services and mails. It is the largest airline of the UK, which includes a fleet size of 234. British Airways is also a constituent of the ‘FTSE 100 Index’ (British Airways, n.d.). British Airways is the ‘flag carrier’ airline of the United Kingdom and so it is also referred as a national carrier. It is a premium airline of the UK which flies to more than 300 destinations all over the globe comprising total number of customer base of 32 million in the year 2009-2010. Hence, it earned total revenue of ?8 billion in the year 2009-2010, which reveals that it is quite successful as compared to other apparent airways of the UK. Therefore, it is the market leader in this sector in the UK ( British Airways. 2010). Apart from this, via its varied types of functions and alliance partners such as Qantas of Australia, TAT European Airways of France and US Airways of the United states, British Airways encompasses to serve its customers outstanding services at every point. Thus, the underlining fact is to satisfy the customers and to enhance their loyalty and dependency over British Airways, which is extremely essential to retain its position in the market of the UK as well as the world in long run. Moreover, it also attempts to augment its operational performance and the quality of practices in order to fulfil customer needs and desires (British Airways, n. d.). This report mainly highlights the varied aspects and importance of British Airways in a brief way. Moreover, a detailed analysis explaining the success story of British Airways is also described with the help of various strategic tools such as PESTLE analysis, Porter’s five forces model and value chain analys is. Moreover, the business strategy of British Airways is also evaluated in an explicit way with the help of Porter’s generic strategies. Certain recommendations are also provided to the managers for further growth and development. Analysis of British Airways British Airways is a reputed airline of the UK and is operated under the parent organisation named International Airline Group (IAG). It is functioning with a common objective of offering an excellent experience of flying to the customers by serving eminent services. This facilitates British Airways to enhance its brand image and identity among other airline players in the market of the UK (British Airways. 2010). In the subsequent segment, the organisation i.e. British Airways is critically analysed in order to evaluate the underlining factors of its success. This can be possible by evaluating both the external and internal factors of British Airways with the help of PESTLE analysis. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE analysis is a vital marketing tool, which is utilised to judge the market conditions. It also helps to detect how various factors such as political, economic, technological, social and environmental factors prove

Aboriginal Rights (Canada) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aboriginal Rights (Canada) - Essay Example They are separate entity rights in Canada that the aboriginal people have practiced and acclimatized to over time. Historically, the aboriginal rights merely protected the aboriginal people and their status in the society. However, the rights and freedoms accorded to the aboriginal people have taken a new shape in the recent times. The aboriginal people now enjoy more emphasized and cemented rights and freedoms, as do other people in Canada. This paper analyzes the aboriginal rights and freedoms from a political angle in order to determine their application in Canada. Past Application of Aboriginal Rights In the past, the aboriginal rights and privileges in Canada only applied within the borders of the country. Aboriginal politicians defended their countries especially when foreign countries infringed on the rights. Particularly, the aboriginal politicians complained to the international bodies like the United Nations over the imposition of the British crown rules on the aboriginal p eople (Panagos 407). The politicians argued that the aboriginal people were governed by the aboriginal laws hence the imposition of the British crown laws lacked meaningful ground for application. Many aboriginal groups however call upon the government to recognize the aboriginal laws. ... However, the government and colonial masters brought discriminatory pieces to the aboriginal rights hence the aboriginal people faced more discrimination even in the face of the new treaties. On such grounds, the aboriginal people in Canada are resistant to allow the government any point of disrespect to the aboriginal rights. Court Implementation and Application of the Aboriginal Rights In the existence of the aboriginal rights, the court has played a major role in solving disputes and aligning the aboriginal rights among the people. The courts have previously arbitrated the conflicts between the aboriginal politicians and the governmental agencies. According to Ray (400), in the recognition of the aboriginal rights by the government in 1982, the government did not define what these rights were. This brought a lot of confusion over the application and enjoyment of the rights. In a statement during the adoption of the aboriginal rights, the courts attained the power to determine the definition and jurisdiction of the aboriginal rights. In this sense, the courts would determine cases on grounds of whether the aboriginal rights applied to a case or not. The courts have also played a role in the aboriginal rights through the creation of the â€Å"sparrow test† in the case of the 1990 R v Sparrow decision. The case brought two factors into existence as regards the aboriginal rights (Collins 959). First, it defined the extent to which the aboriginal rights could apply and the pieces or parts that could be infringed by the government. The case also confirmed that the aboriginal rights were not absolute because the court, which

The Social Network Compare and Contrast Essay Example for Free

The Social Network Compare and Contrast Essay They are similar and different in the way that Eduardo is social and Mark is not, Mark can be naive and Eduardo is cautious, they both are emotional people, and they both defend each other. To begin with, Eduardo and Mark are different because Eduardo is not a very social person and Eduardo is a social person. Mark can be rude and blunt about what he has to say, he doesnt lie. The very beginning of the movie is a perfect example of his lack of social skills. In the beginning of the movie he has a girlfriend and they are talking about how he wants to get into a final club at his school. She talks to him about which one is the easiest to get into and right away he becomes offended as if shes implying that he cant get into a more difficult one. He begins to insult her and her intelligence basically telling her that she isnt as smart as he is. Another example is after he insults her she breaks up with him and leaves him at the bar to go home. He rushes home and starts blogging about all the things that are wrong about her. He calls her mean names, makes fun of her, and revels embarrassing details about her. This shows just how much his social skills are lacking. Eduardo on the other hand is a very social and likeable person. Eduardo makes friends easier than Mark does. One example is Eduardo got accepted into the Phoenix Club which is the one Mark wanted to get into. Those clubs consist of many social events and getting to know a lot of people. For Eduardo thats easy because during the first steps of getting into the club he knows all of his facts and sort of impresses the leader. In addition to, they are also different because Mark can be gullible and impulsive while Eduardo can be cautious and considers the consequences. Mark can be gullible because in one of the scenes he totally falls for Sean Parkers charm. In the scene where they first meet Sean Parker its easy to see that Mark believes every word he says and is also willing to do whatever he says. In that same scene Eduardo questions everything he says and doesnt want to give into what Sean Parker has to say. Its easy to tell that Eduardo is doubting him and pointing out all the things that have gone wrong with what hes done so far. An example of Mark being impulsive is when he hacks the school and sets up the face match up page. He doesnt even think about what the outcome and the consequences while hes doing that, he doesnt even really seem to care either. Also in the same scene again, Eduardo shows he does think of the outcomes and consequences when he asks Mark if he really wants to do the face match up page. He thinks about what people will think and how they will react to the page they are creating. Moreover, Mark and Eduardo are also similar to each other because they are both emotional people. They both show their feelings openly and its clearly shown when In the scene where Erika breaks up with Mark his emotional side shows up when he goes home and blogs about her. He doesnt think about how much he will hurt Erikas feeling because hes so angry at the moment. Another example of is when Eduardo freezes up the bank account and Mark doesnt like that at all. When Eduardo does that Mark cuts Eduardos share and basically takes him off as the co founder of Facebook. An example of Eduardos emotional side is when he goes to California to help Mark with Facebook and sees Sean Parker and the things they were doing. When Eduardo walks into that he gets really angry, tells Mark that he doesnt trust Sean, and goes to the bank to freeze his account so that they no longer have access the money. Last, they both defend each other and they have a real true friendship with each other. No matter the circumstances they always stand up for each other, even when they fight and during the law suit. In one scene during the movie Mark is in a lawsuit with Eduardo the lawyers accuse Mark of something and Eduardo stands up for him. Later when Marks lawyer talks about how Eduardo was accused to animal cruelty Eduardo gets so angry at Mark for telling his lawyers about that. Afterward, when Eduardo is done being shocked Marks lawyer points out that when he brought it up Mark actually stood up for Eduardo. They have an honest friendship and even when they are fighting they still try to protect each other. When in the lawsuit with the Winklevoss Brothers their lawyer brings up Marks lawsuit with Eduardo and Mark talks about how Eduardo is his best friend. They are in a way still friends even though they are fighting with each other. Furthermore, having to choose which character is more admirable it would have to be Edurado Saverin. Mark Zuckerburg really cares about Facebook and did everything he could for it but Eduardo is still more admirable. He had good judgment for the most part in the movie and only slipped up once when he signed that contract but he always doubted Sean Parker. He put forth so much money and effort into Facebook. He would go to meet with people to talk about Facebook to make it better. He actually cared about what other people thought and considered peoples feelings. It wasnt difficult to tell that being apart of Facebook actually made him very happy. He was made out to seem not as important as Mark but hes actually just as important because without his money it really wouldnt have happened. Mark and Eduardo are similar yet different and thats what makes them best friends.

Changing of Women Rules in Global Business Essay Example for Free

Changing of Women Rules in Global Business Essay Now, the role of women in todays society is becoming increasingly visible and important than in comparison with the situation of 30 years ago. More and more women have started to try their self in different areas of human society, such as politics, science, business, journalism, charity etc. And areas such as entrepreneurship and business is no exception, on the contrary, they have become a priority because the people who are successful in business will always be respected and considered, especially in the world mens rules. Since ancient times, men do not take women, as it was believed that a womans place in the family sphere, it is unusual and should stay at home, manage the household, raise children, take care of her husband and so forth, but those days are long gone, and the woman is free to do what though no one can deny them. While many may disagree with that, especially in societies living on the old foundations, and Sharia law, where the woman stays at home and raises her children. And I must admit that in the West and in the more developed countries, women with all other than for example in Muslim countries. Women are much freer in their choice and the right activities. That is, they are not worse than men; at least the governments of these countries have taken measures to gender equality and discrimination against women. Equality of rights is the essential foundation of any democratic society that aspires to social justice and respect for human rights. The modern woman in this world are becoming more and more independent, hence, with men moving into the background taking place with them on a social level by changing their stereotypes, which were considered by it since childhood, but when she decided to climb the social ladder, it must prepare for the development of foreign territory. And the higher it will go up, the less it will be around the fairer sex. Thus, for a higher level of women need to learn the rules of conduct in a mans world. The participation of women in business in the developed world and the familiar phenomenon is not surprising in the business world and society. Most commands respect the fact that women are showing remarkable abilities and business acumen. This paper is designed to explore the nature of womens social position and description of the main characteristics of their social status and studies of women in todays economy and business, market pressures on its social health. 1. The paradox of female companionship. According to the UN Population Division, 49. 7% of the population is women. It is difficult to understand the true customs and traditions, to experience how people live in a particular country. Moreover, even more difficult to provide an accurate picture of the situation of women in different countries where the image of a womans life is not as noticeable, where the woman does not participate in economic and political life of the country, where, as a rule, she plays the role of a wife, mother, mistress of the hearth . But sometimes those women, about which we firmly There are certain stereotypes are not living the way we imagine, have certain rights and status in society. It is known that Japanese women live in a society where dominates and rules the man. The dominant role of men in this country has developed historically for a long time, and, as in all countries of the East, the predominant role is expressed everywhere: in the business environment, and the arts, and in politics. But the beauty and uniqueness of Japanese women, her desire to agree, its great patience, a sense of harmony and balance in all things, the willingness to sacrifice were known to ancient times and carried the glory of a Japanese woman around the world. Japanese wife running the business is reconciled with the fact that her husband is found not more than a couple days a week. It may seem that the Japanese woman is under the yoke of patriarchy and pressure from the men. However, this is not the case. That Japanese has more rights than women of other countries in Asia and the Orient. Japanese woman confides education of children and the decision of their fate, it is completely given the right to dispose of her husbands earnings and decide what expenses and how much need to be done, the Japanese women work, and some of them are financially stable and resting on the feet. Japanese women are able to hide their feelings, build diplomatic relations with her husband, seeking from him a lot more than European women. But even with a lot of rights, under the influence of civilization, becoming more independent, educated and self-confident, a Japanese woman still accompanies her husband to the door, with reverence and obedience to lower our heads bowed her husband followed. In Iran, is rarely seen without a black woman, at least a green curtain that hides her hair, the shape, and sometimes even the face. From the outside it seems that the women in this traditional and patriarchal country have virtually no rights and are entirely dependent on men. In fact, it is in Iran, women live an active and fulfilling life. Active and energetic Iranian women evolved over many centuries. O daughters of checks that are cutting their beautiful hair and wore a military armor, as well as men to defeat the enemy, there is still a legend. Therefore, even the leader of the revolution in Iran, Imam Khomeini said that for the revolution is to thank the women. The case for women of the East, we can say that their situation is not so bad as we describe the Western media, so whether women in general to engage in politics or business to the detriment of his personal life and family. After all, we all know what this means, when a woman chooses a career, not a family. In Western countries, a woman does not want to lag behind men because society is so constructed that causes compete with the opposite sex, and to claim their rights. Thus, women put themselves under the family or career choice and the choice often falls on the first option. As a result, it leads to divorce or refraining from family relationships. Frequent quarrels and not paying enough attention to children, that leads to the child becoming self-contained and further experience severe stress. Also, women in these countries often lead dissolute lifestyle, drinking, smoking, etc. And it is for these reasons that many women somovolno decide to start a family, abandoning the business activity, and not because someone is prohibited for them or criticizes it. 2. Concept of â€Å"Businesswomen†. The modern woman in this world are becoming more and more independent, hence, with men moving into the background taking place with them on a social level by changing their stereotypes, which were considered by it since childhood, but when she decided to climb the social ladder, it must prepare for the development of foreign territory. And the higher it will go up, the less it will be around the fairer sex. Thus, for a higher level of women need to learn the rules of conduct in a mans world. The participation of women in business in the developed world and the familiar phenomenon is not surprising in the business world and society. Most commands respect the fact that women are showing remarkable abilities and business acumen. Business women are self-employed, as the rules inherent in the following personal qualities and characteristics. Women, as a rule, the nature carefully and meticulously know how to count money. If you want to explore the firms position in the market, the women successfully cope with it. Diligence and thoroughness, determination and precision, care of women in the work known to all. Ingenuity and flexibility of thinking, the ability to analyze and evaluate the readiness to make decisions, communication skills and social competence these are the qualities that a woman and needed her as an entrepreneur and manager. In most of the female population is at least half the workforce. At the time, the women are still facing difficulties in fully participating in the production process; they are, however, increase their buying power. Demographic studies show that an increasing number of women, who increasingly have to make decisions of financial issues. This trend is reflected in our developing world, where most of the immigrants were women. Women play an important and growing role in the global economy; they make a significant contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) by increasing the level of consumption of goods and especially the use of services. It is assumed that the increased participation of the female population in the labor market contributes to the potential growth of the economy, especially in the west. In most developed countries among students, first degree, as well as incomplete higher (the minimum period of training two years), more girls than boys. To business and to the success of women are moving a lot of reasons and motivations. Below are some of them: The desire to create the present and future of their own work; Hope unification into one work and personal life; The desire to realize their hopes and their style of business activity; Waiting for a good reward for their efforts and increase their personal wealth, Ability to reveal his I, his abilities as the previous post did not contribute to this; The tendency to take risks, find a way out of risk situations; The value of the specifics of growing back, which founded the company; The impact of friends and acquaintances; 3. Statistics and facts. In 2004, the U. S. percentage of girls among the students was 60%.  In the UK, this level is fixed at around 67%, in Germany 61%, and in Sweden 53%. Japan and Korea are among the leading countries in Asia: 65% and 52%, respectively (information is based on a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). In general, this trend must modern employment opportunities, as well as increase the cost of living are not cheering. In general education strengthens position in the labor market, increasing its potential earnings. Migration of women to the private sector is not accidental. It is here that women managers can achieve some success. Business requires knowledge of financial problems, Mastering accounting, psychology, communication, and marketing. The rapid growth of economy women the burning topic of conversation, reports impress with reference to The Financial Times. According to the Boston Consulting Group, women control $ 12 trillion in global spending and are the driving force for earnings growth on a global scale, 5 trillion dollars, says journalist Lucy Warwick-Chin. From 2000 to 2007, in the U. S. he number of wealthy women, not less than one thousand five hundred dollars for investment, increased by 68%, while the number of wealthy men only 36%. Therefore, the economy women are called a force to be reckoned with. It is expected that its global economic impact in the coming years will be greater than that of Brazil, Russia, India and China combined. In some countries, women understand the strength of the economy is better: the powers of women in the U. S. are much higher, and their contribution to the economy more than British women and other women of the world. Why women are more successful in the manual? a) Women make better leaders they know how to think about several matters and, at the same time, to plan for the future, while men are able to concentrate on one issue, preferring to solve problems in series; b) Women are inherently more organized and able to act effectively because they mother. Take responsibility its in the nature of women; c) Purposeful Women and men consistently better eye for detail analyze and take into account the nuances of the work; d) Women more sociable, they tend to trust behavior. They are better at organizational and planning functions, adapt faster to changing conditions, regardless of the subordinates, contributes to these productivity improvements; e) Women leaders know best key people are products of their business are focused on the customer, the new product (or service) that is needed by the market; Women managers not only achieve lasting results of enterprises, but also create new jobs, successfully solve social problems as a team, and, especially, women, and the city in general. Organization is fully aware of the distinctive features of the motivation and methods of women will be more successful. Women take over 80% of purchasing decisions; they account for 70% of firms startups. This is the most important target group in the world. Conclusion: A woman in business today has become increasingly strengthening its position in the modern world women leading a significant percentage of all business structures. There is also a tendency to increase the number of women in business every year the percentage coming into the business men and women favor the women. From this we can conclude that the role of women in society as a whole is growing every year. Already, many men in business recognized for a number of their women preeminent in fact, in many areas of business activity, the stronger sex surrendered their positions. Thus, a woman in the business has a number of objective advantages over men, there are literally ome grown women hairdressing salons, beauty salons, retail trade, in general, any commercial enterprise, requiring attention to detail, with little or average number of staff personnel. The proportion of women is higher in small business, then medium businesses. In the large, the more international business, men continue to lead but in the management of the business often are forced to have female staff, as its presence in certain circumstances treats business tactics activi ties. According to psychologists, a woman in the business of building a more cautious relationship with its business partners, avoiding excessive risk-taking, sharp turns. It is particularly sensitive to the issues of corporate culture, introducing an element of warmth and nepotism in the business life of the strict rules of the organization. These factors, among other things, increase the profitability of new technologies that increase productivity. Female leader, as a carrier of emotional start, can acutely feel the psychological climate in the team, to understand what was going on the conflict, and, perhaps, to prevent its onset. In conclusion, I would like to give an answer of the American writer and historian G. Wils on the question of the most significant changes: For the past 40 years, the status of women has changed as it has not changed over the past four centuries. No change has not affected so deeply social. Changed relationship between wife to her husband, mother to child, woman to woman.

Counter Terrorism Measures For Global Safety

Counter Terrorism Measures For Global Safety Terrorism has inflicted fear and panic on almost every corner of the globe. Due to the pain that it inflicts on people indiscriminately, the United Nations has taken the threat of terrorism seriously and is actively engaging all member nations to participate in counterterrorism efforts (United Nations [UN], 2008). The counterterrorism agenda is a priority one for the UN for many years now. Countering terrorism has been a difficult pursuit because it is immediately laden with ethical and moral issues. Due to terrorism targeting even innocent women and children and random civilians located at the wrong place and at the wrong time, many are tempted to pursue counterterrorism through the eye for an eye approach. However, doing this would make the counterterrorism efforts no less evil than the terrorists, so engaging in acts to combat terrorism must adhere to democratic principles (Steven Gunaratna, 2007). While terrorism has been a scourge for many decades now, the United States was for ced to combat terror more aggressively in the advent of the September 11 attacks which claimed the lives of thousands. Measures have been promulgated using various anti-terror approaches in order to protect civilians and to defend the world against terrorism (Bater, 2010). However, combating terrorism has become more difficult because the US is forced to deal not only with terrorists from overseas but even homegrown terrorists such as 19-year old Osban Muhamud who allegedly planted a bomb in a Christmas tree (Thomas, Goldman Ryan, 2010). Nine years after 9/11, the terror threat has not waned and resolving the threat of terror at home and abroad is far from over. Models and Measures of Counterterrorism There are three general models to combat terrorism. The first model, the criminal justice model (CJM), aims to combat terrorism while at the same time preserving fundamental human rights and democratic principles. The second model, the war model (WM), emphasizes on restraining terrorism itself than preserving democratic rights and places the state in a war-fighting mode to counter terrorism effectively. The third model integrates the previous two, called the expanded criminal justice model to provide greater flexibility in counterterrorism efforts (Steven Gunaratna, 2004). These models also reflect current counterterrorism measures recommended by the UN and its member nations, chiefly the United States (Department of Homeland Security [DHS], 2008). Due to the fact that terrorists operate at various levels, whether political, legal, economic, military, and through the media, efforts to combat terrorism also encompass these areas (UN, 2008). Political Measures: Political strategies in combating terrorism require that states address the root causes of terrorism in their respective countries. Terrorists legitimize their violent acts as a response to poverty, unemployment, and other socio-political programs. Political measures to counter terror require that states negotiate with terror groups and making small concessions with them. The danger with this strategy is that it gives terrorist groups legitimacy and may even encourage other groups to resort to terrorism in order to achieve their political goals and demands. Nonetheless, some governments have addressed terrorism by using poverty-reduction programs, employment and livelihood activities, land redistribution, and offering amnesties (UN, 2008). Punitive Measures: Punitive measures are aimed at severing a terrorist groups lifeline by cutting off its finances and other resource-generating capabilities (DHS, 2008). This involves banning fund-raising initiatives of known front organizations of terrorist groups. Other punitive measures that are used in many include freezing assets of known front organizations or of key leaders, boycotting countries found to harbor terrorists, and placing economic sanctions, as in the case of Iran and Iraq. Judicial Measures: Judicial measures consider international human rights law and enact legal measures to prevent terrorism. This includes ratification of international conventions or regional agreements relating to the extradition, prosecution, and mutual legal assistance to facilitate the capture of terrorists. Although this measure is the most democratic form of counterterrorism, it presents many problems such as the possibility of nations refusing to cooperate where the legal systems are not compatible and the refusal to prosecute suspected terrorists out of fear of retaliation. Legally, prosecuting terrorists is a challenge given the non-uniform definition of terrorism among countries (Steven Gunaratna, 2004). Intelligence gathering: The lapses of 9/11 brought several measures to strengthen intelligence in the United States. One of the earliest measures undertaken was the passage of the controversial Patriot Act which reduced the limitations that law enforcement agencies were subject to in terms of searching email, telephone, medical, financial, and professional records (The Investigative Project on Terrorism, 2008). The Act also reduced the restrictions of the US when gathering information on other countries. The law also amended the definition of terrorism to encompass domestic terrorism, thus, expanding the powers of law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism. The law came under fire from civil rights groups and enhanced fears regarding breach of privacy and increasing surveillance powers of the government (Bater, 2010). Military Response: The use of military for retaliatory response is an application of the war model whereby civilian legal systems are temporarily suspended in favor of martial law (UN, 2008). The military response is a controversial measure in terms of international law. It poses the likelihood of alienating the public and giving the terrorists hero status; moreover, military response can be interpreted acts of aggression and heighten anti-US sentiment, making the capture of terrorists more difficult (The Investigative Project on Terrorism, 2008). Conclusion Different models and approaches to counterterrorism have been applied by the United States and members of the United Nations. While each have its advantages in zeroing in on terrorists and preventing the further loss of life, certain democratic rights and ethical issues make such measures precarious and difficult. This is because any effort to weed out terrorism must be balanced against international norms on human rights and democratic freedoms.